The Weekside: Why Shaq and Scottie Pippen should stay off social media

Words With Friends

This week’s five must-read articles about the NBA. Excerpts here — click through to read the full piece.

1. Finding answers: Wesley Matthews discovers more than just riches
by Jason Quick, The Oregonian

"When free agency arrived July 1, Wesley Matthews waited for an offer from the Trail Blazers. He had hoped he could return to the city that had embraced him, to the team with players he considered brothers, to the franchise where he grew into one of the NBA’s most well-rounded and respected shooting guards. But in the end, after five seasons, the feeling was not mutual. He was greeted with silence. No phone call. No text messages. The Blazers never made an offer. “I was pissed off,” Matthews said. “I felt disrespected.”"

2. Facts Only
by Josh Smith, The Players’ Tribune

"When I found out half the sports world was calling me “greedy,” I wasn’t online or anything. I don’t even have Twitter, man. I was jogging in the park with my family. You couldn’t really even call it jogging because my kids are still pretty small. It’s more like power-walking. My wife and I were trading off pushing our two-year-old son in the stroller. My six-year-old son was all about the workout. My eight-year-old daughter didn’t love it — let’s just put it that way — but she’s eight and wanted to be with her friends, so I get it. My wife and I believe it’s important for us to do outdoor activities together during summer vacation. I call it Smith family fitness time. So my phone started blowing up. My dad called. Both my sisters called. I knew something was up. I guess I was the last person to find out that I was suddenly in the news. But like I said, I’m not on Twitter or Instagram and I barely watch sports news. I’m kind of old school like that."

3. 10 reasons why LeBron James should absolutely not do ‘Space Jam 2’
by Matt Moore, CBS Sports

"Even for a movie with a shaky plot line, there’s no real way to spin a sequel. You would need the Monstars for the nostalgic appeal. Are they just going to do the exact same thing they did in the first movie, after becoming good guys since being set free at the end of Space Jam? There’s really nowhere to go with the end of Space Jam, which is part of the reason, you know, there hasn’t been a sequel yet despite it making $240 million dollars."

4. Jose Calderon among players hoping to make old opportunities new again
by Rob Mahoney, Sports Illustrated

"Calderon’s best basketball may be behind him, but I’m not quite ready to write off one of the league’s most precise shooters and facilitators. Everything went wrong for Calderon last season: The learning curve of the triangle offense was a struggle for some teammates; Carmelo Anthony’s injuries robbed the Knicks of their only star; a general lack of talent put New York at a nightly disadvantage; and most relevant of all, Calderon was bothered (and eventually sidelined) by an Achilles injury that compromised his season. Each of those factors will be addressed in some fashion for the coming season, beginning with Calderon’s health."

5. The Blessing of LaMarcus Aldridge
by Shane Young, Hoops Habit

"San Antonio did something we’re not used to seeing. Popovich and Buford chased down LaMarcus Aldridge, the most productive free agent on the market (excluding LeBron James). By influencing Aldridge to kiss goodbye his Oregon stardom, the Spurs knocked out two birds with one stone. They would instantly revamp a team that still won 55 games last year — something any East organization would die for — and they would help the regression of the Trail Blazers, who were barely over the 50-win mark with Aldridge. Thus, you’re knocking out a team from the “special eight” in the West playoff hunt, all while making your own team the most threatening for any defense to handle."

Next: Top Fives